


Of Nightmares and Dreams - Tenth Doctor x Reader

by spinning-in-a-bluebox (sunnithesunflower)



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alien Planet, Aliens, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Awkward Flirting, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Gallifreyan!Time Lord!Reader, Gen, Have accidentally doubled overnight, Hugs, I need help lmao, Minor Character Death, Multi, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Originally I was thinking of making it 20 chapters but then it well may, Regeneration (Doctor Who), Season 3 rewrite, Season/Series 03, Slow Dancing, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, This is going to be really long, but I guess imma just go through with it now lol, i'm a sucker for the fake/pretend relationship trope, im sorry for neglecting this fic, is it bad that I'm barely taking the tags seriously any more, no beta we die like jack and rory, oh god what have I done, this may have been a terrible idea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23562262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnithesunflower/pseuds/spinning-in-a-bluebox
Summary: Originally posted on my tumblr, now moved to AO3!___Y/N L/N, the last of the Time Lords. Or so you thought. When you crash landed on earth you thought that no other Time Lord has survived the fall of Gallifrey. Landing on a quiet alley on Earth you find that to your dismay your TARDIS no longer works without intensive care and you say goodbye to traveling forever. That is until you meet the Doctor at a wedding. Your best friend's wedding. Donna Noble. Meeting the Doctor changed the boring stable life you had built for yourself on earth and you were thrown back into adventure.__________Disclaimer: This fic uses she/her pronounsIf you didn't check the tags, here are the possible warnings: minor mentions of abuse, violence, minor character death, occasional swearing and possible dark/mature themesPairing: Tenth Doctor x Gallifreyan!Reader~~~~~I own nothing.
Relationships: Donna Noble & Reader, Jack Harkness/Everyone, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Tenth Doctor/Reader, Tenth Doctor/You
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	1. The Last Time War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is a tenth doctor x reader insert fic im starting but the chapters are from my tumblr account @flyinginthetardis  
> Requests are closed and im still working on my fics but its a slow process. However, after i get past chapter 3 everything is going to be smooth sailing. I hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So this is a new fic im going to start working on and it was great fun to start. This is the first time I've tried to write a reader inserts and I'm still rather new to this fandom so sorry if i make any errors or mistakes. (I've only gotten until S10E04 so yeah.) My editing isn't great so sorry about that as well. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)
> 
> Warnings: bad editing, some violence is mentioned, sadness, not so good writing.

"No! let me GO! TAKE ME BACK! NO!" you screamed violently thrashing against the guards your mother put in place so that you wouldn't be able to come back to the battlefield and foolishly risk your life to find her. PLEASE! TAKE ME BACK! I CAN'T JUST LEAVE HER! I CAN'T-" your voice dropped, pain and despair were clear to see in your greenish-blue eyes that were once again brimming with tears.

Sinking to the floor, all your attempts of trying to get your mother stopped as you knew it was futile. Staring blankly, you look behind your shoulder, where you just escaped the start of the last Time War. Gallifrey, your planet, was in flames. 

Your mother had made two guards usher you out of there, so that you could get to safety. She followed you, but she must have fallen behind, held up or something. The last time you saw her was when you were running through the rubble of one of the ancient houses that had never actually been used so when it collapsed no one was there to see it. What if that was the last you would ever see of her? The last time, you heard her voice, or felt her comforting touch? What if she was-Shrieks, and a loud explosion launched you out of your thoughts and back into reality. 

Hearing shuffling noises, you got to your feet, wary and alert of the danger to come. You armed yourself with your father's sonic screwdriver ready to - Mum. "You're alive! you're okay!" you cried out, wrapping your mother in a hug. "yes. I'm alright sweetheart. I'm here." your mother said softly as you hugged her tight. another explosion was heard and both of you quickly separate, giving each other worried glances.

"Okay darling, now get into TARDIS and head for a planet that's far away and easy to blend into, alright? I hear that Earth's nice. Go live your life, have adventures, fall in love. Do amazing, wondrous things, sweetheart. " your mother said with an odd emotion in her voice that you didn't understand. "wait what? No, your coming on board with me right? And so is dad, right?" you asked, disbelief apparent in your questions your voice quivering a little bit. There was no reply, and you were unable to look into her eyes. After a few moments of silence, she suddenly pushed you in the TARDIS, taking you by surprise and locking the doors from outside leaving you no key, even though you knew there had to be one, somewhere in the TARDIS. "MUM! NO! you can't do this!" you shouted as loud as your voice would allow you to. This can't be happening. "Darling, I love you but I can't leave your father or my world. It's my time pumpkin, but you're young, you still have so much to live for. I promise. " you heard your mother say faintly. 

You knew what you had to do and you knew it would hurt. you heard the last of your mother's footsteps walking back to battle and-No, I'm not going to think of that. Think, y/n, how to turn on the TARDIS? you wondered, looking at all the controls and buttons. Hoping that whatever your doing next is out of sheer dumb luck. Setting in a planet, you pulled a big lever, pressed buttons that looked important and off you went, leaving Gallifrey forever. You held on tight to the railing as you awaited to arrive at your destination. 

Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! new fic but not really. I wanted to post this later but i didnt want to lose this draft so i had to post it soon so here we are. its a new fic im actually pretty invested in so yeah. Ive already written 2 chapters so i'll upload those and im working on chapter 3 which honestly is going to be a bore as its just a filler chapter and a chapter to introduce more characters so yeah. After that things will get hella more fun and interesting. Also sorry if somethings are not canon and i honestly dont know much about time lord biology or whatever so i probably should research more about that. Im also really sorry about the notes and summary repeating but ehh it will clear up later. Anyway hope its alright and not too cringy or anything :))


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chap 3 in progress and its a real bore and not a fun chapter but after that i hope it gets better

You were hurling and spinning towards the blue planet. It was a rough ride. Entering the atmosphere, you began to burn up a little and crashed ungracefully into an abandoned alley, causing birds to squawk and made a loud ruckus. 

groaning slightly, you stood up from the floor, brushing off some broken pieces of machinery and pulled yourself out of the TARDIS. I really hope no one saw that. At least the TARDIS didn't blow up and we landed in an abandoned alley. Ok, y/n calm yourself down. What are you going to do now y/n? you thought, freeing your leg from some wreckage. 

"Oh girl, we gotta get you fixed." you said, brushing off some scoot and dust off tardis. The TARDIS made a small sound and a laugh escaped your lips. Before you could say anything, a loud gasp startled you. "What on earth happened to you?" a ginger woman asked, shock plastered all over her face. "Um.. Excuse me?" you questioned, an equal look of shock and confusion on your face. "Who are you?" 

"Donna Noble" she said, shaking your hand and giving a small smile. What about you? and what in the name of all good things is that wreck behind you?"

"Uh, umm," you paused, thinking what name to use. You couldn't use your title, The Shadow, so instead you just settled with your real name, y/n. No one else really knew your real name on Gallifrey except your parents so if anyone else survived they wouldn't know who you are. You didn't even know if anyone else survived. You could be the last living Time Lord. Or Time Lady, to be exact. You were startled out of your thoughts by Donna snapping her fingers in your face.

"Did you space out or something? So strange. So what's your name?" Donna asked, muttering to herself a little. "Oh yeah. That. It's y/n" you replied, turning back to the TARDIS. "It's a shame isn't it? you questioned Donna, not taking your eyes away from the ATM machine, box, whatever the name for it is, you couldn't really remember. It's camouflaging still worked, apparently. You sighed, pulling out your sonic screwdriver out and it glowed a soft gold as you put the TARDIS in a small pocket of time and space so no one would find it. 

"Are you from space? " Donna asked, still processing everything, a look of wonder and awe in her eyes. "Why would ever you think that?" sarcasm dripping from your voice, staring at her, fascinated. "Because you came flying in the air from a box." Donna stated, waving her arms everywhere and pointing at where the TARDIS had been and technically still was but in a pocket of time and space. "Well, does that answer your question then?" you innocently looked at her, eyebrows slightly raised, while lying on the slightly scoot covered ground, arms propped up, looking comfortable despite being anything but. 

"No?" Donna scrunched up her forehead and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and slight frustration. 

"Well you're smart enough to find the answer I suppose."

Donna rolled her eyes and let out a large groan of annoyance. Who was this mysterious lady?  
She seemed strange but in a nice kind of way. She also seemed very lost, like a visitor. But from space. 

"Look, if I tell you the truth about who I am, then you can never ever tell anyone okay?" you finally said, breaking the current silence. Your voice is serious and all traces of playful elements are gone. Standing up, you brushed off excess dirt and looked her over. There was a worried look in your eyes, and you bit your lip, pondering if you could trust her fully. 

"Alright, I promise." she responded, nodding while a smile grew on her face. 

"Stupendous!" you cheered, the light returning in your e/c eyes. 

You smiled at your new friend as you walked down the alley and into the sunlight, leaving the TARDIS behind and tried to start a new life. 

"So, what are you?"

"I'm a Timelord or a Time Lady really."

"And what is that? 

"Basically I'm an alien from another planet and I'm around 300 years old. I'm still quite young-ish. I don't really know what would be considered young I guess.. Still on my 8th regeneration though. " you spoke, looking forward to her reaction. 

Donna gasped and stopped in her tracks, making you trip a little. "What? How? What? What!" 

You chuckled, and shook your head in amusement. "yeah. I… I come from a planet called… Gallifrey. It was gorgeous. I miss it." your voice became shaky, as you tried swallowing a lump in your throat and keeping your tears at bay. "Oh. I've hit a nerve, haven't I?" Donna blurted out, wincing a little, biting her lip nervously. "Yeah… please don't ask questions about it." you mumbled quietly, looking down at the ground as if it was the most fascinating thing you've ever seen. 

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry for whatever happened." Donna uttered, squeezing your shoulder for comfort. You gave a thin-lipped smile and continued walking, but looked at the stars once in a while. "Anyways, I've got to start a new life here, so do you want to share a flat together and we can do whatever we want afterwards?"

"Sounds, stupendous." Donna laughed, quoting you from earlier. "Oh stop it, I knew it was a bad idea to say it from the start" you giggled, shaking your head and rolling your eyes as the both of you walked down the street. Unbeknownst to you, you weren't alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also im sorry if i mess up donna and ten's characterization. also using html kinda sucks bc i cant use italic or bold bc my rich text thing doesnt work :(
> 
> Theres an extra note but idk how that happened and my ao3 is a mess atm so dont be confused by that bc that was for the first chapter which im going to fix


	3. The Wedding Of Donna Noble (That Didn't Actually Happen In The End)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been a couple of years after you met Donna Noble, and of course, the two of you became best friends. Especially since she was the only one who knew who you really were. Getting a stable life had been tiring and tough and _so_ god-awfully _boring_ but you had made it through, occasionally helping out earth when it was in crisis and whatnot. Things go awfully awry however when you're late for her wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD. I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING!!! I was meant to update wayyy earlier bc i had already written this ages ago but I sort of hit a rut on how to end it because I had an idea to expand on it but I JUST COULDNT WRITE. like??? This bitch empty. EMPTY OF IDEAS. my brain was just not cooperating. so instead I chopped this chapter into two parts which is why it's kinda short. also i got obsessed with bbc merlin so that distracted me a lot lmao. The timeline gets a bit weird from here so check the end notes for clarification! 
> 
> Again. I am so sorry lmao. Thank you so much for all the kudos!
> 
> P.S.  
> What I said before about this chapter being a bore? Total BS. It was hilariously fun to write. I can't believe what past me was thinking. but in terms of quality? ehhhh, yeah this certainly isn't my good work but oh well.

"You had the reception without me? They had the reception without me!” Donna exclaimed in anger and slight disbelief as she stared at the crowd. As you tried to squeeze past people hurriedly you heard a man speak and introduce himself as the Doctor. 

_ Doctor. Huh… that sounds… familiar. Strange. _

As you pushed through the crowd surrounding her so you could question her to death, you suddenly tripped on the end of your backless ankle length royal blue dress and let out a yelp. Unfortunately, you happened to be wearing heels and this was not a good combination of clothes to wear, especially if you needed to get somewhere in a hurry. You made a mental promise to yourself to never wear a combination of long dresses and heels ever again.  _ Why in the name of rassilon did humans wear such things? _

However, just before your face came into contact with the floor, you felt a pair of warm hands wrap around your waist, declining your descent. As you turned around to thank this person for, well, letting you  _ not _ smash headfirst into the floor, your breath was taken away by the mere sight of them. 

The stranger, whoever they were had gorgeous messy brown hair and mahogany eyes that were bright and sparkling, but also withheld so much pain and agony while a goofy smile came across his face.

"uh.. Hi.. " you greeted awkwardly as you tried to recover from almost falling flat onto the floor. 

"Hello."

"Uh, so, um... Thanks. For you know.. saving me from my own clumsiness. I knew I shouldn't have worn this." You spluttered nervously as your cheeks started heating up.

_ This is stupid. What are you doing?  _

"You're welcome! and uh... you look nice. Don't worry about it." He complimented slightly awkwardly, with his hands still holding your waist. 

"Oh! Um.. Well.. Thank y-" 

"Doctor! Y/N! I've been looking for you everywhere! Where have you been?" Donna cuts in, not letting you finish your conversation.

_ That was the Doctor? Huh. _ You frowned ever so slightly before being pulled out of your thoughts. The two of you went into a hasty explanation blushing slightly. This was not how you had expected tonight to go. Not at all. 

"Uh, huh. Anyways, Doctor, going to borrow Y/N here for a bit, don't wander off spaceman." Donna says skeptically as she drags you to a more secluded area to talk. 

"Donna, what's all this about?? Where did you go?? What happened?? Who is he?"

"I don't know Y/N! Today was insane! When did you even get here? I thought you were busy."

"Oh. Well, I finally managed to come but by the time I got there everyone was at the reception and I thought everything was fine, until I tried to find you but couldn't. Anyway you're here now and I'm glad that you're okay." You said, rambling ever so slightly and winced, hoping your friend wasn't mad at you.

"Oh, well, I'm glad you're here. Anyways, he… he's like you. Also, he saved me, from, you know…  _ aliens _ ." Donna said as she shook her head, trying to process it all.

You instantly went into a small coughing fit, shock plastered on your face. "Donna, did you aliens? _Aliens_ _here? Today?_ C'mon that would have been so fun! I wish I knew that." whining slightly as a pout forms on your face and you sigh wistfully before you resume pestering her.

"Donna."

"Yes?"

"What do you mean he's like me?"

"I mean.. he's like you! Weird, eccentric! He said he was an alien! We were in space Y/N! My god, he even has that weird metal magic wand thing that you have too!"

You sighed in annoyance as you pulled your sonic pen out of your purse and waved it in front of her face as it lit up in a soft f/c colour before you corrected her for the fifth million time. 

"It's a  _ sonic pen,  _ Donna."

"Whatever it is, he's got one just like it!" Donna said excitedly, slapping the sonic pen away from her face as she looked at you, eagerly awaiting your reaction.

You frowned and pointed to your sonic pen before you saw Donna's face fall slightly.

"He's got a sonic pen? Like this? Like mine?"

"Well, not exactly, but yeah. Something similar to that!"

"Huh. Interesting." You said, clearly intrigued as you placed your sonic pen back into your purse.

Donna walks off in the crowd before you can ask her another question and you force yourself to relax slightly. It was her wedding after all. You smile faintly at the sight of your best friend dancing and chuckle lightly before you sidle up to the Doctor.

"Hey." You give a slightly awkward wave as you try to get his attention.

"Oh, hello! You're the girl from earlier aren't you? The one that almost fell."

You smiled brightly and gasped in mock shock. "Oh no, I've been exposed." You snicker lightly as you drop the facade and lean against the bar railing behind you. A small silence. "Yes, yes I am."

"It's Y/N, right?."

"Yeah."

"Unique name."

"I know."

You sigh before nudging him playfully.

"And what about you?"

"What about me?" The Doctor asked, seeming genuinely confused. 

"Donna told me you were an alien. With a sonic screwdriver."

"She told you that?"

" _ Well _ , not exactly… but yeah, basically."

"Huh."

You watched him as he asked a guest on his right for a cellphone. You close your eyes briefly before opening them again and you sigh.

"You know you could have just asked to borrow my phone, right?"

"Oh! Right. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

A few seconds pass and you decide to look over his shoulder. Your interest peaks as he pulls out what seems to be a sonic screwdriver and uses it on the phone. The name Torchwood pops up on the screen and you take a step back, slightly shocked. 

"Torchwood?" You say while frowning and your voice is laced with confusion and fear. 

The Doctor looks at you through his glasses and frowns lightly before edging slightly closer.

"You know what Torchwood is?" The Doctor asks as he pockets his screwdriver and gives the phone back to its original owner.

You look up at him worriedly and nod.

"Battle of Canary Wharf," you whispered and then paused, "I lost some good people that day."

Biting your lip, you let out a quiet breath as the memories of that day start to flood your head. The Doctor visibly softens next to you as he watches a couple on the dance floor. A few moments pass and you both go quiet.

You get suddenly pulled out of your stupor by the Doctor. You raise your eyebrows in amusement as he stands in front of you and gives you a hand. 

"Dance with me?"

"What?"

"Dance with me."

Your eyebrows raise even higher and you let out a small laugh. "Really?"

"Yup." 

You shake your head. "I can't dance."

"Cmon."

"No," You shake your head once more before laughing, "I seriously  _ cannot _ dance."

"I'll teach you." The Doctor says before grabbing your hand-which felt surprisingly nice-while leading you to the dance floor. You yelp before succumbing. You tense up slightly as he puts a hand on your waist and shoulder. The touch of his fingers on you feel so gentle,  _ so intimate,  _ that it feels almost wrong. Blushing, you get your head out of the clouds and try to focus on.. well, something  _ less  _ distracting.

"This is ridiculous."

"Nah, it isn't." The Doctor dips you slightly as you strain to not to fall again. He brings you back up and it's a struggle to keep up  _ and _ not step on his feet at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you didn't know or haven't watched it yet, then you probably should. This chapter (and the next one) are set in the special episode "The Runaway Bride". The timeline from here on is a bit wibbly wobbly though. As much as I love Martha, we never meet her because lets just imagine the whole hospital on the moon or basically the whole episode doesn't happen. (I personally LOVE that episode, but I'm taking it out.) I probably won't follow the season 3 storyline that much as it's more of just a guideline for me lol but it is still kinda important so I might reuse or rewrite certain episodes that I like or are important to the plot. 
> 
> With that all said, thank you so much for all the kudos! I don't know when I'll get the next chapter up (because I'm stuck on it) but hopefully it won't be a terribly long wait. I've just done a couple of exams and I don't think I have any more for a couple of weeks (or is it months??? I hope it's months lol) so hopefully I'll write a little more.

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me on tumblr! 
> 
> Tumblr: sunflowers-and-snowdrops


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